Pieces of Time
by sugarplumkali
Summary: In a life that can only be described as full of broken promises, and hopelessness. Kali get fed up with the one she thought loved her, and leaves her home. Only to find herself in an unfamiliar forest, and in great danger of an old God's power. With Link's help, can she keep the peace in Hyrule? And find her way home?
1. Chapter 1

_So I just wanted to leave a short author's note explaining that yes, I am a nerd that is writing about putting myself into a gaming situation. The explanation behind this is because I haven't played The Legend of Zelda in quite some time, and it always kept me daydreaming as a child. Recently I've been going through some tough times without any sort of relief from anything, until I got to play Zelda again. After I played it for a while, it brought back my creative spirit and inspiration to write and draw. It made all of my problems seem silly for a while. I wanted to make this story to dedicate my appreciation to Nintendo and the Zelda series for helping me through tough times. I hope you guys enjoy this. It's still a work in progress. Enjoy!_

Irritated green eyes squinted in the dark as they opened from a deep slumber. Her eyelids had been crusted shut from the salt of tears she'd cried previously that evening. She remembered almost as soon as she came to her senses. How her boyfriend had left her home to go and be with people he knew she hated; people she knew would never be good for their future together. It was hard enough moving out at 18 to live with your boyfriend and his mom, and having to be the one to support yourselves as a couple while he tries and find a job.

She felt a lump rise in her throat when she remembered how he left without a second thought after a half-hearted 'I love you.' When she tried to roll over in the mattress that was cornered in the floor, she felt a warm body next to her; he came home sometime after she'd cried herself to sleep. She rolled back over stiffly, her muscles tensed as if she were ready for another good cry. 'I shouldn't have to put up with this,' she thought, biting her lip as she sat up just as stiffly as she lay on the bed. The young woman glared down at him in the dark – his eyes closed, and his expression carefree. What did he know about stress? She often asked herself this question. She roughly pulled herself off of the bed over him, not caring if he woke in the process. She ran her fingers through her blonde bedhead as she felt around the messy floor in the dark for some clothes.

"Kali?" She heard as she pulled on a pair of red and white plaid pajama pants.

"What?" she answered coldly, feeling a rage heat pump through her veins straight from her heart. "Where are you going?" he asked again, sitting himself up on one elbow to watch her as she pulled on a black long sleeved shirt with some punk heart design on it. "Away from here." she answered again after a pause, "I can't take feeling like they are more important right now, and I just can't even be near you." she tried to stop herself but just continued on, "I can't take _this_ right now." She gestured sharply to her tear swollen eyelids and her quivering chin.

There was a long, painful silence as he looked at her, "So where are you going to go?" he asked, a hint of hurt behind his voice. "I don't know." she responded with a long sigh, "I'm going for a walk, I'll be back later."

She took three long strides for the bedroom door and stopped in the door frame, letting her fingers linger down the wood as she looked over her shoulder at him. Tears slipped over her cheeks, "I love you." she told him, not sure if she really meant it, "I'll be back."

She left without letting him answer.

–

The winter air was frigid, and the fog billowing from Kali's mouth seemed to never end. She shivered violently as she strode past the backyard, across the shallow stream – never stopping to care if her shoes got wet. After she'd let that first tear slip, they didn't seem to stop. She couldn't help it that her feelings got hurt so easily, especially when it came to him. She didn't want to think about him but couldn't stop. She couldn't stop thinking about whether or not he went back to sleep, or even stopped to think about keeping her from leaving...Probably not. She refused to let out sob, because if that started, she wouldn't be able to continue her walk.

Before she'd realized how far she'd walked, she was past the old abandoned cemetery she'd always been terrified of since she moved in with him. She was well past the barbed wire fence that separated his mother's property from the unclaimed land on the mountain. Before she'd known what happened, she had already scaled a large distance up that mountain. She didn't care if she was in the dark. She didn't care that she was alone. The cold made her pain almost numb. The cold made the physical pain of her aching joints, burning lungs, and frigid cheeks hurt more than what was hurting her most from the inside. She didn't want that pain back.

–

She didn't know how much time had passed, or how far she'd walked away from her home. What she did know was that she felt as if she'd reached the flat top of the mountain. She walked and walked that flat woodsy land until she had to stop to breath. At some point in her walk, the salt from her tears had dried and made the skin on her cheeks stiff. Another thing she noticed was that the flat land didn't seem to end. She couldn't see the other side of the mountain, and when she breathed, the air didn't seem thinner like it usually did on top of a mountain. Kali stopped, sucking in deep breaths and letting her frigid, hurting ears adjust to the silence of the winter night.

If a feather dropped, she could probably hear it. Most bugs were dead this late in winter, and almost all of the forest creatures were in hibernation.

Once she stopped, Kali felt as if her heart were swelling. It continued to swell, and tears began to spill over her cheeks again. She felt like a full bottle of water with someone's foot stomping her, continuing to put pressure on her. Finally a sob escaped her miserable throat and her knees collapsed from underneath her. Her smaller sobs continuously got louder. All of the stress of work, college, supporting her boyfriend, maintaining their relationship, everything came out of her.

She screamed because she felt like it. She screamed because it made her feel like she was releasing everything bad that had happened so far. She screamed to make room for more shit to put up with.

Her head pounded heavily, as did her heart. Eventually, in the middle of a sob, everything faded into black. Kali welcomed the cold, and all the numbness that came with it. She let it numb her heart, mind, and body; at least until she'd wake up.

–

Kali's vision was blurry in the slight light that showed through the dead branches of the trees; the sun was going to rise soon. She must have slept until about 5 a.m. at home before she left. At least those were the first few thought that fought their way through her foggy mind. The rest of her brain was trying to focus her nerve endings to the setting, her ears on the shuffling of the rotting leaves, and her eyes to the figure that now stood over her. She squinted her green eyes to see who it was. Kali felt a warm hand on her forehead, as if her temperature was being checked. The warmth reminded her of him, so she figured it must have been him. She tried to speak to him, but the fatigue slurred her speech, "Took yo-...took long...eno-enough." she stammered through heavy, numb lips. She couldn't hear the figure, but another one stood beside him, one with womanly curves.

Rage filled her veins and she tried to move to get up, but her muscles were like lead inside of a paper bag. "Yooouuu..." she growled with slurred speech, "Cheating...son of a bitch..." Kali made sure to force her last insult sharply. Before she could really say anything else, she was being lifted into someone's arms. Weird, he could never really lift her because of how scrawny he was. She couldn't question it – the numbing darkness pulled her back into its arms as she was carried away.

–

Kali woke with a start, somehow the rage from what she'd seen before had stored itself in her body until she finally had the energy to become fully awake. Her body shot up in an unfamiliar bed, under unfamiliar blankets. Her wide green eyes shot around the room as she scrambled to stand up from the bed. A strong arm pushed her back down on the bed and when Kali looked to see who it belonged to, the shock of silver hair met her eyes. A woman with sharp facial features, full lips, and pointed ears kept her firm fingers on Kali's shoulder. "Slow down young one. You must rest." the woman told her in a strong tone. Hell, everything about this woman was strong.

Of course, that didn't stop her feelings of rage. "I don't know you lady. Get your hands off of me." she demanded, roughly slapping away the woman's hand from her shoulder and trying to stand up again to make her run for the door. 'I've been kidnapped.' she suddenly realized and adrenaline started pumping through her veins.

She didn't make it very far. Kali's hand-slapping got her a good hard shove completely back down on the bed, with the woman's forearm pinned across her collar bone. "You will lay here, and you will rest." the woman said firmly, suddenly looking tense. "Such a young lady should have more respect for her elders."

Kali struggled against the woman, attempting to shove her arm away. The woman was putting all of her body weight onto her, and it was very probable that the woman weighed more than her. Kali grunted with frustration, "You're not my elder. I don't know you, and I can't believe that you think I should respect you for _kidnapping_ me!" she yelled, hoping that maybe someone outside would hear her shouts. The young blonde's blood boiled, and she reached down to bite the hell out of the woman's forearm.

All it took was the woman to release her weight off of Kali for just a mere second, and she did with a yelp as teeth dug into her skin. Not enough to break skin, but definitely enough to hurt. She scrambled to her feet to run for the door, "HELP!" she shrieked. The woman's iron grip locked onto Kali's waist as she attempted to drag her back to the bed. "Stop running, girl!" she woman demanded, obviously frustrated now, "There was no kidnapping involved here!"

Of course, mere demands didn't stop Kali as she shrieked and grabbed onto a wooden beam that framed the walls of the house as its support. The woman grunted as she tugged hard on Kali's waist, "Let go and quit shouting like that!" she growled, still tugging.

"Hell no!" she retorted and continued to shriek.

Suddenly the door on the other side of the room burst open with an unfamiliar male voice, "Impa, what is going on?!" he asked, "I heard shouting and-" When Kali looked up, a tall blonde boy stood there by the door looking alarmed and dumbfounded at the same time. The woman released her grip on her waist just a moment. "Link this girl-" Impa started. Kali didn't give her enough time to finish as she pulled her leg forward and kicked back at the woman. The woman grunted as she moved out of the way, but she released her grip. She scrambled forward, until she realized that she was running right towards the boy that was blocking the door. She immediately stopped and spun to the side, towards a shelf, looking for something – anything – to defend herself with. She grasped the handle of a nice looking pot on the shelf and turned toward them with the pot high above her head – as if she were about to swing it at them. "Don't come near me! I will hit you!" she threatened. "Now tell me where I am, right now!"

Several awkward beats of silence passed as Kali kept the pot high above her head, she kept glancing in between the woman and the boy to see who would jump at her first. Finally, the boy raised up his hands as if to surrender to her. His clear blue eyes looked almost sympathetic for her, and she ground her teeth together upon noticing. "Just calm down, and I will explain everything. You're going to have to trust me." he told her, keeping his gauntlet covered hands up to show that he wasn't going to do anything.

Kali really considered it. There was something about this boy that was familiar to her, and something about him that made her want to trust him – even if they were both dressed as if from a different time. She slowly lowered her hands with the pot held tight in her fingers. All the time, she kept her green eyes on the boy's face, looking for any hint that he might have been lying. "Fine." she spat, placing the pot stubbornly back in its place.

Both seemed to sigh with relief, and the woman was the first to move. "Well I will not tolerate this girl's hardheadedness any longer," she grumbled angrily, taking long strides with those muscular legs of her's towards the door, "I will prepare dinner for us all." She opened the door and stopped to glare at the girl, before slamming it behind her as she left.

"Hardheadedness?" Kali questioned out loud, crossing her arms stubbornly. "At least I'm not a brute." She grumbled as she moved past the boy to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

The boy pulled up a chair in front of the bed, and sat to look at her for a moment. Kali took this quiet opportunity to observe him as well. It was the first time she really noticed the boy's clothing. Is he wearing a dress? She blinked a few times and realized he was dressed very medieval-ish, and very green. Her dark brows pinched together above her almost almond shaped eyes. He seemed to be looking at her clothing as well; she didn't really blame him either, her clothes didn't match. Kali was the first to break the silence, "Weren't you going to explain things to me?" she asked, trying to still sound irritated, even if she wasn't.

He seemed to snap out of his thoughts and nodded his head, "Yes, well...There isn't much to explain. Impa and I-" She interrupted him, "First, who is Impa? And more importantly, who are you?" The boy chuckled lightly at her, and her face grew hot. "What's so funny?" She demanded, her shoulders tensing.

He only waved his hands in front of him as if in apology, "Sorry, it's just that you ask so many questions, and it's kinda funny." He cleared his throat awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, the woman that just left is Impa. My name is Link, and I think it's fair if I ask for your name as well." he said, offering her a smile. He seemed amused.

"I think it's fair to give you my name after you tell me how I got here." she countered, mock-grinning right back at him. He laughed again, and she frowned.

"Fine, fine. As I was saying before, there isn't that much to explain. Impa and I heard screaming as we were exploring some ruins, so we went to find out what it was. We stumbled upon an unconscious girl who roused half-awake upon finding her," He motioned to Kali, "What was it that she called me?" He rubbed his chin for a moment, really trying to remember what she told him. "A cheating son of a bitch?" he laughed jokingly.

Kali face grew even hotter as she recalled thinking that Link was actually her boyfriend from home discovering her passed out in the woods. She looked away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. "So?" she asked.

Link just smiled at her, "Nothing really. I just found it strange. This girl also wore strange clothing but appeared harmless. Of course, we couldn't just leave an unconscious girl out in the forest in the early hours of the morning." He leaned back in his chair as he finished his story, "So we brought her back here."

Kali let her pale cheeks cool before she looked at him, "W-Well...It's not right to just take an unconscious girl back to your home. You should've just waited until I woke up." She scolded him with a frown.

Link seemed to furrow his brows a bit at her, "Are you not aware of what goes creeping around those woods? If we would've stayed there was a chance we could've been ambushed." he explained, a little more seriously.

"Ambushed? By what?!" she mocked, laughing slightly. "Bears? They're hibernating right now. Maybe a very cold squirrel?" She shook her head, "If I thought that there was something out there that could have really hurt me, then I wouldn't have left to begin with."

Link shook his head at her, then seemed to think for a long time. He let his gaze fall on her eyes, then to her shirt and pants. "You are not from here are you?" he finally asked, his eyes pulling back up to her face. Kali furrowed her brows right back at him, "I could ask you the same question, but to answer your's, I know that I'm not from wherever you're from." she answered, running her fingers through her blonde hair.

"You are in the same place I come from right now. Do you even know where you are?" he asked, genuinely surprised. Kali took offense to his tone and stood angrily, "Don't talk down to me like I'm crazy!" she growled at him. He stood up with her, his expression not changing from it's shocked state. There was a long silence, and Kali wondered if he would challenge her. "You are in the kingdom of Hyrule." he simply said, as if he didn't know how else to tell her.

It took several moments for Kali's brain to comprehend what he had just told her. A kingdom? Kingdoms hadn't been in existance for centuries where she was from. Did she go back in time? She glanced at his ears. Maybe even a different dimmension? How?! At the realization her heart sunk down into her stomach and her angry, stubborn attitude fell. "I'm sorry, and I'm not sure where you are from," he started, taking a cautious step towards her, "I will help you find your way back though. Nobody deserves to just be left alone in the forest like that." Link was trying to encourage her to be strong in this situation. She appreciated that much, even if she didn't believe that he would help her find her way back. Nobody was that determined, or kind, or brave. "Thank you." she said sadly, turning away from him. She felt the lump rise back into her throat upon realizing that while she was gone, her boyfriend didn't come to find her – He was probably still asleep right now. She put a hand over her mouth to stop the sobbing that was sure to come, and she swallowed the lump right back down. "Link, I...Can I have a minute alone?" she asked quietly, refusing to look at him.

He let his gaze linger on her; eyes full of sympathy. "Yeah, but before I go, can I have your name?" he asked, moving slowly towards the door. Kali looked up at him with wet green eyes, "It's Kali." she answered quietly.

Link somehow smiled at her encouragingly, "Then Kali, we'll get you home as soon as we can." he grinned wider and gave her a thumbs up, "Impa left some clothes under the bed. Come out to eat when you're ready okay?"

Kali appreciated his smile more than anything right then, and she managed to give a weak smile back to him while wiping the tears from her eyes, "Yeah, thank you." she said.

Link walked into the other room. She lowered her face to the bed to release her emotions silently.

–

Not far from where Kali was found sat the same ruins that Link and Impa had begun to investigate. It is said that years ago, long before the Hero of time and the King of Evil, a tribe of people lived and worshiped a God. They made this God their leader, their shaman, and their healer. It is said that this God possessed a power that could not be seen, heard, smelled, or even really felt unless you were moved by it. In these legends, it explains that this God was challenged by a stranger with strange clothing that nobody had ever seen before, nor were his ears pointed like everyone else. The stranger fooled the God after feigning his death. As the God turned his back, the stranger pulled out a dark dagger that held a very powerful malevolent aura emanating from the scriptures on the blade and thrust it into the back of the God. The God's body burst into a billion shimmering pieces, then was absorbed into the blade of the dagger. The tribe became shocked, angry, and violent towards the stranger, and in a desperate attempt to possess the same power that the God had, he thrust the dagger into his own heart. His heart burst as the power surged within him, and the strangers body couldn't bear the intensity of it. He collapsed in a seizing heap, and died.

Centuries went by, and the tribe became extinct without their leader. The sanctuary where their God once lived became a ruin. At the same point in time that Kali had become a part of this world, there was a shift between the two dimensions. This shift couldn't be felt by just anybody, but it was felt by the dead stranger. This time shift awakened his corpse that lay in a tomb deep within the ruined sanctuary. His heart – still holding the aged dagger – didn't beat as his veins rushed with the old God's power.

His flesh was rotted with age, and his face ugly with death. As he pulled himself from his tomb, bit by bit, the power was already regenerating his old body. "Finally...the time, has come." he rasped.

–

About 20 minutes later, Kali walked out of the bedroom into a much warmer room. A strong beefy scent hit her strong in the face, and her stomach immediately growled upon the smell. She felt very awkward in the clothes that Impa had picked out for her. She wore a white short sleeved button-up shirt with a maroon skirt that came down to her knees; it had strange dark brown block-ish designs at the bottom that seemed to be the same as the designs on the end of the sleeves. The skirt was held in place by a long dark brown sash that she assumed was used as a belt around her waist, and on her feet were boots that were about a size too big for her feet. Strangely enough though, she was warmer in these clothes than her damp pajamas.

Both Link and Impa looked up at her from the food in front of them, and Kali just stood there awkward with her hands stiffly at her sides. Impa looked like she was expecting something, as much as Kali hated to say it, "Thank you for the clothes." Impa had the slightest of triumphant smirks pull at the corner of her lips, "That's a little better," she muttered, "You're welcome. Now, sit." Impa stood to go and fetch a bowl for her. Kali – and her red hot cheeks – moved to sit at the table, opposite of Link.

She didn't like that his gaze continued to awkwardly linger on her. Not uncomfortable like he was a pervert, but it was just odd being stared at; something she wasn't used to. "Did you find the answers you wanted?" Impa asked as she set in front of Kali a bowl full of some sort of soup. It smelled slightly spicy and beefy and it made Kali's mouth water. "I...well...Some." she answered simply before picking up her spoon and digging in.

Kali wasn't sure if this was some sort of dream, but the food was just as filling as if were wide awake, and extremely tasty. She didn't even care what was in it. "There are still things that I need to know, such as, where am I specifically? Where am I on a map?" she continued after swallowing several large mouthfuls of food. "Why you are all dress this way and have pointed ears." she added, self consciously running the tip of her finger over her rounded ear. "I don't understand this place at all."

Link only looked at her, as if he were still thinking, not saying anything. Kali only looked back down at her soup and continued to eat. "Well child, it is not us that is strange to you. It is you who are strange to us." Impa said quietly as she took her seat.

Kali raised a brow at her, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Impa folded her hands on the table. She sort of reminded Kali of one of the teachers that makes threats to slap their students, and actually does it. "It means that you are in our world. Clearly you are not from here. You are the foreigner to us."

That stung. Kali tightened her jaw at Impa's comment and for just a split second her eyes shifted to Link, who just looked at Impa with a puzzled expression. Kali set down her spoon on the table and stood. "If I'm such a foreigner, then maybe I shouldn't be here." she said, standing rigidly from the table and headed for the door. "Then maybe you shouldn't." Impa replied calmly.

Kali's heart dropped again and she bit down on her lip, "Then I guess I'll just leave." She muttered as she strode quickly for the door. Link stood up and stepped after her, "Kali, wait! She-" he started.

She knew that Link was a great guy, and would probably be a fantastic friend to her, but she only knew one truth about all of this, about people. "Link, just stop." she stopped and held out her hands to him, her eyes stinging, "I should've known this would happen. I'll find my own way home. I don't need her help. I don't need to rely on anyone." This scenario felt as if it had happened to her a billion times. "I'm sick of everyone telling me things that aren't true. I'm tired of everyone making false promises. I want to believe everything you said, Link. Honest. I just don't believe in promises anymore." She waved him off, and stormed out the door.

Kali half expected to be blinded by some kind of bright sunlight that set the tone for a beautiful day when she stepped out. Instead, the sky looked like it was calling for rain, or snow. Gooseflesh rose on her arms as she breathed in the frigid air. "Stupid dress..." she uttered painfully, feeling an awkward draft. She glanced around her as she stepped across the grass. Apparently they had brought her to some sort of village. The people who dared to come out in the cold gave her odd looks as she passed. This was worse than the world she knew.

She _was_ the foreigner.

Kali ran out of the village, the cold burning her hard-working lungs. "I don't need them anyways." she thought, her tears long since ceased. Her mind shot back to her boyfriend, and she remembered all of the unfulfilled promises he made her. That sent her mind back to her parents, her sisters, her friends. All of them made false promises and she believed in them every time.

As she ran down a set of stone stairs, she took a moment to look at where she was. There was a never-ending field that lined the horizon. In he distance she could see a hint of forest, and past that, she could see the rain that was headed their way.

She didn't care.

She continued to run out into the field blindly, unaware of just what she would find.

–

Kali wasn't sure how far she had run, but eventually she just walked in her size-too-big-boots across an endless field. She constantly kept an eye on her surroundings, and anything that moved, she looked at. Eventually, the sky began darken as the sun set. She must have been asleep for the most part of the day. Either way, she was hungry and exhausted from traveling the way she was. A part of her regretted leaving Link like that, without saying goodbye. He didn't deserve that.

Eventually, she found a spot in between a cluster of trees to rest for the night. As she lay there on the cold, hard ground, she thought of what she said to Link. She thought of what Impa said to her too. She didn't understand why Impa disliked her so much that she'd say that to her. Then again, maybe she was being overly sensitive. Regret filled her heart as she thought of Link's expression before she stormed out. His expression, again, full of sympathy, and maybe even hurt; she couldn't tell. Her eyes became heavy, and she wondered just before sleep claimed her, "Did he come after me?"

An old power has come to exist once more. An area of the forest has gone unrecognized, guarded, and undiscovered as a rip between dimensions has been created. Where exactly that rip was located, has yet to be known.

Deep underground, in a ruin that wasn't so much of a ruin anymore, an old being dwelled. He stepped slowly around a circle that glowed shades from black to neon blue. Around this circle that took up most of the space in the massive tomb, were what seemed like thousands of books that contained the secrets to the ancient dark magics of Hyrule. The old being, who's name was never mentioned in the legends and tales of his ultimate victory against an old, forgotten God, had obtained these books through his victory and domination of the many regions that were once here before Hyrule.

He held the largest of the books in only one of his hands – which were still in the process of regenerating from centuries of rot. His striking green eyes gazed down upon the text as he stopped before the circle. "Such power, with much time for others to come an obtain it. Yet nobody has come." he chuckled darkly as he reached into one of the few chests that lay about the tomb, pulling out gems engraved with symbols that were not recognizable to anybody of that time. He threw them perfectly into their spots on the circle as he chanted from the book. The lines that intertwined perfectly within the circle glowed from a bright blue, through the color spectrum, and finally shone with a green light. As the old one chanted, a wind and thunder from beneath tore through the circle and shot up. The winds violently tossed the books and chests around the room, but not the old being. The thunder clapped and rumbled loudly, but not loud enough to contain the old one's booming voice as he finished his spell.

For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped in the room, all except the old being. Finally, the circle erupted with ear piercing screeches, and the wicked laughter of monsters summoned straight from the dark realm. They flew, or crawled, around the room gnashing their wet mouths at whatever they could find. Very few approached the man that had summoned them from the dark realm, and if they did, his overpowering aura fended them away. The man closed the book, deciding to leave the gate open so he'd have an endless supply of minions. They knew not who their master was just yet.

But oh, they will.

–

A massive chill shook Kali's whole body, ripping her exhausted mind from unconsciousness. Her eyelids peeled back slowly, and she flinched slightly every time a raindrop slapped her frigid face. Her cloudy vision cleared as she slowly remembered everything that had just happened and why she was asleep beneath a tree. At first, she thought that maybe everything that happened was a dream, but when she pulled herself to a sit she knew that she was wrong. The odd clothes clung – soaked- to her cold body. How had she managed to sleep through any part of the rain? 'Must've been exhausted..' she thought, feeling her heart beat sadly. An overwhelming feeling of loneliness spread from her chest, all the way out to her fingertips. She thought for a few moments before realizing...nobody was here. Not her mom, her dad, her family, what few friends she had back in her world,...not even her boyfriend from home. Just thinking about him felt like a dagger to her heart. Kali shivered hard and swept away her soaked, matted hair; frustrated. She bit her lip upon completely realizing – she was completely alone in this place.

It wasn't until several moments later that she realized, someone was with her, lingering in her peripheral vision. Her muscles suddenly jolted alive from the cold and she was standing, braced for a run. The figure chuckled, it was a man. "I don't see why you're trying to run." he muttered provocatively. Immediately, Kali knew that was her queue to run. She didn't want to trust anyone in this place, nor would she. Before she could even take her first step, though, a hand shoved her in the opposite direction. Someone had been standing on the other side, knowing she'd run. "Where do you think you're going girly?" the other male voice boomed. They sounded exactly the same – which didn't make sense. Kali stumbled, but managed to not slip in the mud. "Look.." she started, patting down her shirt and skirt, then holding up her hands in surrender, "I don't have any money or anything of value. Just leave me alone." she pleaded, knowing if she tried to fight the both of them that she would just lose.

They both laughed simultaneously, and moved in on her. She backed up as they moved forward. "We don't want anything that you could physically possess." said the cloaked figure on her left. "What we do want, is information." said the other.

"What could I possibly know?" she asked, backed up even more.

Her back was now pressed against the rough bark of one of the trees, and they kept moving slowly towards her. One of them brandished a long, vicious looking chain. "Now, now. No need to play dumb." the one said, wiggling his index finger at her. "We know that you know where the gateway is."

"What are you even talking about? What gateway?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch. Panick began to swell in her chest, her heart beating a million miles a second.

"You poor thing," the other mocked, as he revealed a sword from beneath his cloak. "You're still lying to us. We don't like being lied to, and it actually makes us quite upset." He looked towards his partner, and he only nodded with confirmation.

"I'm not even from this weird place! I don't know where I am, how can you expect me to kno-" Kali pleaded but was interrupted by the two suddenly just blinking into existance right in her face.

"Didn't you just hear us say we /hate/ being lied to?" They both said in unison, the shadows beneath their hoods so dark that she still couldn't see their faces.

The panic within her begged to be released with a scream that was fighting it's way up her chest, and into her throat. She ground her teeth together and held it back. There wouldn't be a point in screaming in a place like this. She was in the middle of nowhere, with the rain pounding down on them, so there would be nobody to hear her. If they were going to kill her, and if this was her final moments, she wasn't about to go down giving them the satisfaction that they made her scream until her last breath.

They adjusted their stance, and she could see the white glimmer of smiling teeth within the shadows. They were going to kill her. She closed her eyes tight and waited for the pain to come. Instead though, she felt the swish of air flying swiftly past her nose. This caused her eyes to open, and the two were standing farther back from her, stunned and looking off in one direction. She should have made a run for it just then. But the intense fear left within her, and the numbness of her limbs from the cold kept her from moving at all.

The two looked at each other again, before picking up the black chain and blade before dissipating into the shadows – as if they were never there in the first place. "...What?" she said out loud, as the sound of rain engulfed her. She looked around and saw a small stick jutting from the ground. She furrowed her brows and shakily stepped over to grab it. When she brought it close to her face, she realized it wasn't a stick at all – it was an arrow.

"But..." she stammered, feeling her head becoming light from everything that just happened, and probably the cold temperature she's kept this whole time. Just as she straightened up she heard heavy thumping in the mud. She has heard that sound before, when she used to take lessons in horseback riding. Kali looked towards the source of the sound with wide green eyes, and saw a chestnut colored horse with someone in green as it's rider. A small spark of hope flickered within her upon seeing Link's face. 'But why is he here?' she thought, finding it hard to believe he'd come out in this storm just for her. He brought the horse to a halt before her and slipped off of the saddle in one smooth motion, pulling the hood to a cloak he'd brought back up on his head. Obviously it had fallen off in the middle of his ride. He grabbed her shoulders and looked close at her face, his expression seeming to be very alert and concerned.

"What happened? Where did they go?" he asked urgently, before glancing around them as if to make sure there were no more attackers. She'd never seen someone this serious before, especially when he seemed so calm hearted before. Kali just shook her head slightly as if saying that she didn't know where they went.

Link's expression seemed to soften at her answer, and he stood up to reach into a pack on the horse. Whatever material it was made of, seemed to keep everything on the inside dry. He pulled out a large cloak and wrapped it around her. Pretty much anything would have been warmer than her skin at this point, and it made her feel safe.

"Come on, we'll talk when we get back." he mumbled as he grabbed her shoulders again. Upon moving the world around her seemed to be spinning, and she could feel his hands balancing her body as she looked at his face with a half-lidded expression.

He only seemed to offer his warm smile again and laughed a little, "Just when you get cleaned up," he said, wiping some of the mud from her forehead, "You seem to get all messed up again." Something about what he said brought a small laugh from Kali's lips and she let him move her towards the horse, and then with strong arms, lift her onto the saddle. He slipped on in front of her and pulled her arms around his torso. She held onto him as they began to move, the rocking of the horse pulling her into unconsciousness once again. She was nothing but grateful that someone...anyone...had finally come after her when she needed help.


	2. Chapter 2

There was the faint sound of muffled voices as Kali opened her eyes once again. She was warm now, under thick layers of blankets and with a hot cloth over her forehead. She smelled that spicy, beef something that Impa had made the day before and the damp smell of earth coming from somewhere in the room. Kali let herself just lay there for a moment, her mind digesting everything that has gone on since she left her home. She had been rescued twice by this boy whom she barely knew, and felt like an outcast wherever she went. There was nobody on /this/ earth that she could rely on, and she felt the staggering hole in her heart that she knew was loneliness. She reached her warm fingers up to touch her own face, and look at her fingertips – which had been made clean somehow. There was no mud on her face or body anymore. Someone must have taken it upon themselves to clean the mud from her. She sat up in bed, her mind and heart still feeling numb with the cold she felt physically just hours ago. The warm damp cloth fell from her head and she ran her fingers through her long messy gold hair.

She has been such a burden to these people. And she felt the weight of it on her heart, as she stood from bed in a thin, lovely white nightgown. Kali ran her fingers over the delicate fabric, looking at the lacework that was done into the hem and trim. It seemed like it was home-made, for someone that had money. It almost felt like silk, but it wasn't quite it. She stepped quietly over to the closed door, where she knew people were behind it – talking. It was probably Impa and Link. She knew what she had to do as she took in a deep breath and slowly opened the door. Link was sitting at the table where they had previously ate their meal, and Impa was standing – facing away from the door, as if she weren't even acknowledging that Kali was there. And neither of them were talking now. That alone told her that they had been talking about her, and she could feel guilt growing in her gut. She wondered now as she stood there, silently what they had been talking about. Link was the first to look at her and interrupt her thoughts. He looked away from her awkwardly, as if he were embarrassed. "Ah, Kali," he greeted, standing as if he were about to approach her but was afraid to get too close now. "How are you feeling?" he finally asked. Kali raised a brow and tilted her head at him as she took a few steps towards them both, Impa still rubbing her forehead as if she were thinking very hard.

"I'm...okay I guess." she answered hesitantly, not wanting to say she was fine – because that would be a lie. She suddenly decided it would be best to address what seemed to be bugging him. "Are you okay?" she asked, taking another step towards him. He seemed to flinch a little and she could see the slight flushing of his cheeks as they turned pink, and she blinked her eyes – confused. "Ah...egh..." He started, laughing a little as he averted his eyes from her. Impa finally looked over and seemed to jump, "Good heavens, child!" she exclaimed, grabbing Kali and rushing her back towards the bedroom door. "You are in your underclothes and there is a boy present!" she scolded as Kali stumbled backwards. "/These/ are underclothes?" Kali suddenly asked, looking down at herself – realizing how...underwear-less she was and then feeling her face burning hot. She jumped as Impa slammed the door behind her, and then ran her hand over her burning cheeks. 'Jeez...' she thought, shuffling over to the bed and checking underneath to see if Impa had left her clothes. Surely enough, she had. This set seemed to be more finely tailored compared to the clothes she wore earlier. It seemed to fit better too. Impa seemed to notice everything, from how long the shirt was to how loosely her boots fit previously. Maybe this was Impa's way of showing that she didn't completely hate her. It seemed to relieve the tension she felt in her chest. So Kali slipped on the soft, long sleeved shirt that was a deep green color. It seemed to be paired with a beige, fitted vest and a darker brown skirt that, again, reached her knees. She put it all on over the gown she was wearing and it seemed to be much more comfortable.

Kali sighed and stepped out of the room again, and this time they both seemed relieved that she could get dressed by herself. She crossed her arms stubbornly and looked away from them both. "Underclothes are different where I'm from...and I was half asleep." she said, feeling like she needed to justify her actions.

Link only laughed lightly...almost half-heartedly. And Impa still seemed to be lost in thought. Kali looked from one to the other, and furrowed her brows, "What's wrong?" she asked.

Link's expression seemed to grow a little darker as he looked to Impa – as if asking her what to say. And after a few moments of silence, he finally sighed before he spoke. "I wasn't able to see much while you were out there, but I could feel...darkness." He seemed to be struggling with how to put things into words. "We have felt darkness...or evil before..But this isn't the same kind as the last." he continued as he grabbed Kali's arm gently to lead her into a chair. She sat, remembering the twins that had attacked her and how they just...disappeared. "So they...I wasn't just hallucinating." she said, "They just...disappeared into shadows before you showed up."

Link's eyes lit up with interest, and Impa looked over at her – as if wanting to know more. "They?" Link asked, "So there was more than one?" He knelt down in front of Kali, and took her hands in his. She could tell he wasn't trying to be forward, or perverted or anything. He was trying to comfort her while trying to get the story out of her. "What did they want? What exactly happened?" he asked, those blue eyes concerned and almost...determined. Why would he be determined? Kali blinked her eyes a few times and recalled to her mind why she was assaulted.

"Yes, there were two. They seemed like twins. And all they said was that they wanted information about...um.." she paused and furrowed her brows with thought. "A gateway?" She finished, and could see something in Impa's eyes flicker as she turned back towards the fire. Kali looked at her for a moment, with Link's gaze following. She pressed her lips into a line as she looked down at her lap. These people had taken her into a home, and fed her, treated her sicknesses, and tried to make her feel comfortable and welcome. What had Kali done so far in return? 'Acted like a brat..' she answered in her thoughts, closing her eyes tight. Running away was the only way she felt she could deal with all of these problems. All of this confusion. She didn't have a single person she truly knew in this world to talk to, or to be there for her. Nobody had where she was from. A lump began to form in her throat, but she quickly swallowed it. No, no more tears. It was time to stop being such a baby and...admit where she was wrong. She lowered her head, and took in a deep breath to hold, and release slowly. Link seemed to notice as he lowered his own head, to try and peer through her hair. He must have been worried about how she was feeling. "Kali?" he questioned quietly.

Kali looked up, her expression was pained but strangely determined. "I'm sorry." she blurted out suddenly. His eye widened with slight surprise as he straightened up, and this seemed to catch Impa's attention as well. She turned slightly, gazing at them over her shoulder. She still seemed troubled. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. It's just...I didn't know what else to do." Kali continued, her fingers tightening around Link's hold on her hand – as if drawing from it for strength to say what she needed to say. "Running away.." she took another breath, "It's how I've always handled things. I don't know another way." She looked frantically from Link's eyes, into Impa's. "I've been an ingrate. But believe me when I say that I'm thankful for all that you've done for me...Even if I've been overly sensitive to things that were said."

Her eyes pulled back to Link's surprised, and concerned face. "You all are the first in forever, that's actually taken the time to...care." Kali felt breathless now, her emotions running a little wild. Hysteria built within her from before finally bubbled into her, and a laugh escaped her. "Hell, I don't even know if going home would be the better option for me anymore." She laughed again, looking down at her lap, realizing that her hand was clutching Link's with all her strength. She breathed in again and willed her fingers to loosen up. They ached now from being tense.

Kali decided to silence herself for a moment, and neither of them said a thing for quite a few minutes. She kept her eyes on her lap, focusing on her breathing to stay at least a little calm. "The point is that I am grateful..And I'm sorry." she finished, sounding solemn. A little bit of doubt slipped into her mind that they probably wouldn't accept her apology – and she couldn't really blame them either. A pair of solid hands slapped down on her shoulders and squeezed, and Kali jumped. Link's hand was gone from her's and Impa was actually hefting her up off of the chair. Just how strong was this lady? She had literally lifted Kali off of her feet with her arms extended by holding just her shoulders and then sat her down firmly in front of her. "Now, that is more like what I'd wanted to hear," she spoke finally, her voice very mature-sounding, like the woman had been living this life for ages.

The blonde looked up at her with unsure eyes, standing stiffly in front of the woman who she was so convinced hated her guts. "It takes courage and wisdom to recognize and admit when you've been wrong – especially in the midst of fear." Impa's words were confident, and encouraging. A smirk curved at the corner of her lips, a real smile. It wasn't snarky and it wasn't triumphant, but it was the first real smile that Kali had seem from this strong woman.

"But, perhaps you need to experience our world before making a big decision about staying or going. After all, you have nobody you really know here." Impa continued, giving Kali a firm pat on the shoulder. There was no malice in her words, so maybe she was just incredibly blunt, but honest. That was something she could accept in someone for sure.

Link stood from his kneeling position after listening to them, he seemed much more relaxed. "That sounds like a great idea." He commented, flashing them both a casual smile. He was back to being the calm hearted guy he was when they first met. "I have some friends I'm sure would love to meet you."

Kali felt her heart begin to pound with anticipation of meeting new people with the hope that they might even appreciate her. Then Impa began to speak again, "People will think you strange at first, surely. But with time and an understanding that you're not from Hyrule, they are usually very open to strangers." It seemed like Impa was taking the words she used into consideration before she spoke to her now – no doubt because of their squabble from before. "In the mean time, this village can be your temporary home." she added, her red eyes softening as she crossed her arms over her stomach – her position was more relaxed now. "That is, if you're comfortable with being here." Link added, trying to be the more considerate one of the two.

She felt her heart swell with emotions that could only be described as intense relief and understanding. She couldn't help the hopeful smile that lit up her face as she looked at them both and nodded her head happily, "I'd like to give a try."

It had been a few days since agreeing to give this place a try. In the mean time, Impa has let her stay in her home and Kali had come to find that Impa usually wasn't home very often. Or at least she hadn't been except for when she came back for food and rest, which was usually towards the end of the day. Link had left the village a few times as well, but not before stopping in to make sure that Kali was still there and alright. One day she'd startled him when he came inside to find that she wasn't there, but she was exploring the village. It had taken some courage to step outside, making sure to wrap a shawl around her shoulder to keep from getting chilly. She'd come to learn that the name of the town was Kakariko Village. It took her a couple of times to pronounce it right, as the names here were much different than back home. She noticed there weren't really any streets as much as there were dirt paths made by people walking back and forth about their business every day. Nobody really talked to her as much as they stared, and she made a point to try and cover her ears with her long blonde hair. They seemed to be wrinkling their noses at her too. Did she smell? There was no way. Kali had been washing down everyday, even if sometimes the water was cold. Either way, it seemed the lacking of pointed ears poking through her hair seemed to make her stand out more – so she gave up and decided to just keep to herself. Link actually found her that day lounging on a cliff face located next to the windmill that overlooked the village. It was a nice spot. There weren't many people and the view was pleasant, and the slow creaking of the mill and whoosh of the wind was sort of relaxing.

Kali was just tidying up her used clothes from the past couple of days, arranging them in the neatest pile she could manage on a chair in the room she was sleeping in. Impa would have to show her how to wash them herself soon. The heard the door swing open and shut without a single knock. That had to be Link coming back from...wherever it is that he goes during the day. "Kali?" he called out, always hesitant about stepping into her room. Well at least he had that much sense. She laughed a little at the thought and stepped out into the living area that consisted of a table with chairs, a fireplace and a few shelves filled with books and other items. "Hey," she answered, smoothing out her skirt a bit. She hadn't left the house that day, but was thinking about going for a walk later.

He grinned at her and tossed a handful of cloth at her with a smooth motion. Kali jumped a little but managed to catch the heavy fabric. She blinked and stared down at it, then at him questioningly. Apparently there was something she was supposed to be understanding but wasn't. "Put it on, I'm taking you on a trip." he said casually, adjusting some straps across his chest that secured a shield and sword he carried around when he left. Then he slipped on a heavy cloak for himself.

Kali looked taken aback but slipped onto the cloak anyways. It was heavy but it reflected her body heat somehow. They must be riding on horseback. "Where are we going?" she asked, a small smile creeping up on her at the thought of actually getting out of the village. She hadn't dared to leave since she encountered those...men. She wasn't sure if it was right to even call them that. There was something about them that was inhuman.

He broke her train of thought. "We're going to a lake." he answered simply, moving to open the door for her. Kali followed his lead, stepping out into the cold. She shivered a bit at the sudden shift in temperature.

"Not to seem ungrateful or anything," she started, pulling the cloak close to her, "But why would we got to a lake when it's this cold?"

Link led her down the stone stairs and into the heart of the village before answering, "It's warmer there, and you seem like the type that doesn't care for just sitting around a house all day or staying in the same place for too long. You seem bored." He offered her another smile as he looked back at her.

Well she had to give him some credit, he was certainly observant. Kali didn't like staying home even when she lived...well...home. She liked to go places and try new things, and eat new foods and see new sights. It was exciting, to think that he'd noticed and was willing to take her somewhere. Though she couldn't imagine they were traveling so far south that it was actually warm enough to be by a lake. Then again, this world has been full of surprises so far. It didn't seem like any of the rules from home applied here, so she was willing to believe him. They both stepped quickly down the stone steps that lead out of Kakariko, towards the fields. The horse he was riding from before waited loyally for him to return. He gave it a good pet on the muzzle and on it's neck. It seemed to be sizing up Kali skeptically. How in the world could she get all of that from a horse? She blinked her eyes and followed Link as he mounted the beast. He offered her an arm as she stepped onto the holster attatched to the saddle and swung her other leg over, fitting snugly to Link on the back. As he began to gather the reigns, she pulled her cloak close and wrapped her arms around his torso. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of going somewhere new, or smile that someone had actually noticed that she wanted to get away and travel. Maybe this would start happening more often. Kali certainly hoped so.


	3. Chapter 3

"How much longer?"

Kali had to raise her voice over the rhythmic thumping of horse shoes smacking the grassy plain they traveled over. There was a little bit of a whine to her tone. Nobody could really blame her, they'd been traveling for the better part of about 5 hours without stopping, and she hadn't ridden a horse in years. The inner part of her thighs ached from sitting in the same position for so long and her arms were straining to keep a good hold around Link's waist. She could feel his shoulders shaking with what she assumed was laughter that got lost in the wind. He turned his head so that she could see the blue of his iris peeking at the corner of his eye.

"Just a little bit further, I promise we're only minutes away." His cheeks were raised like he was smiling. He was probably laughing at how childish she seemed. This had only been the fifth time she'd asked on this trip how long it would take for them to get there. It was difficult to keep track of time here. Kali had always been so reliant on clocks and technology to keep track of the time, and now she didn't even have her phone. At least it seemed like time passed the same way here as it did back home. She at least got tired around the same time every night. When she gazed up to look at the sun, trying her best to determine what time it was, she knew it was hopeless to guess accurately. At least she could tell it was past noon, since the sun wasn't at it's highest point in the sky. "What's so special about a lake anyways?" She suddenly called into his ear.

When she envisioned a lake, she thought of the only one she knew of back home. It was barely big enough to be called a lake, more like a pond really. The water was murky and brown and the water rippled with frogs swimming across the surface. She wrinkled her nose at the image, remembering why she never really bothered to go fishing or even learn how. Link looked back at her again, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. "You'll see."

He seemed awfully sure of himself, but it was hard to read him sometimes. So she just nodded her head. "It's just around this bend." he told her.

Kali thought of the relief she'd feel after getting off of this horse and stretching her legs. She was practically ready to jump off and kept trying to peek over Link's head and shoulders to see if they reached their destination. He was significantly taller than she was, unfortunately. He made a sharp turn suddenly and Kali gripped his torso tightly to keep from flopping to the ground. When she looked up she felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. There was so much water, almost like a sea. She would have thought it was the sea if she couldn't just make out the strip of forest on the other side of the lake. Suddenly she didn't feel like she could get off the horse on her own because of how stunned she was by the sheer size of it. "Oh." she said breathily, pulling the hood of her cloak down.

Link pulled his hood down as well, keeping his green hat on his head. "Yeah." he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Kali leaned towards the side and carefully slid off of his horse, barely keeping herself from stumbling to her knees. She didn't wait for Link to get down and she jogged over to the water's edge. It wasn't murky in the slightest. It was as clear as crystal and look incredibly enticing. She wondered if this is what lakes and river's would look like if her world didn't have technology or humans to destroy them. The only reason she couldn't see to the bottom of the lake was because of the sheer depth of it. And when she peered out on the surface, she could see an island that looked too small for the tree that lived on it. And farther to the side it looked like tall columns of land with bridges attached. She assumed it was for people who undoubtedly visited the place. How was it that it seemed empty of people right now?

"It's called Lake Hylia." Link said right next to her.

Kali hadn't even heard him walk up next to her, and almost forgot he was there entirely. "Lake Hylia." she said, trying out the strange name. It sounded off coming from her inexperienced tongue. But it was a fitting name, for a lake so pretty.

A gentle gust of wind blew back her cloak, and it made her realize just how warm she was with it on. She unclasped the snap at her neck and shrugged it off, holding it over her arm. It was at least ten degrees warmer here. It wasn't especially hot, but it wasn't cold either. "I honestly didn't think it would be any warmer. I don't even see how that's possible." she pondered to herself out loud. Link had apparently removed his cloak as well and was taking hers from her arm.

He chuckled a bit, "Is there a specific reason for that? The weather doesn't change where you're from?" he asked, not in an insulted way. It seemed like he was genuinely curious. She watched him as he walked towards the horse and tucked the cloaks away in one of the packs attached at the saddle. His sword and shield were still strapped to his back, as they usually were whenever he returned to the village. Were there really things here that called for weapons like that? The thought called back her experience on her own in the fields, and decided to try not to think about what could be worse out here. When he returned he found himself a seat right at the water's edge in the cool grass, looking at her expectantly. Right, he asked her a real question.

"Well..." she started, taking a pause to sit on her knees at the edge of the water. She couldn't help but lean forward to peer into it, wondering if there were shells somewhere in there. "Of course the weather changes, but...I feel like it takes farther distances to change from cold to warm so drastically. Maybe my world is bigger than yours." she tried her best to explain things so that it would make sense to him. Talk of cars and roads and planes wouldn't make sense to him, there was barely any technology here at all – if any.

Link leaned back on his hands, gazing out at the shining surface of the lake as he considered what she'd said. "Maybe." he finally said, shrugging his shoulders with a smile – like he couldn't care less. That made Kali smile a little as she followed his gaze. "It doesn't seem like you've seen a whole lot of your own world though." he added.

That startled a laugh out of her. It reminded her of how her friends in high school would tease her about not getting out much. "Well you got that right, for sure." she said, almost sadly. "It's hard for me to be able to leave home because..." she paused for a moment. She knew she was about to blame her boyfriend for it. For every reason she's unhappy. "I don't have much of a choice other than to stay home, study and work to keep us where we're living."

Kali could suddenly feel his gaze on her, boring into the back of her head. She didn't want to look back, and decided it was best not too. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she breeze picked up again, tossing pieces of her hair into her eyes. Her fingers circled a small pebble in the grass, and slowly nudged it into the water, barely making a ripple on it's glass-like surface. "We?" he questioned casually.

"Uh, yeah." she answered quietly, flicking another pebble into the lake. "Me and my...guy." She didn't mean for the statement to sound so shameful, but she couldn't really help it. Her boyfriend didn't treat her well and she was a shitty liar.

"Doesn't sound like it's very nice." he said, almost sadly. She knew he was taking pity on her, and he could probably guess that she wasn't happy with where she was in her old world.

"It's not." Kali responded, a sort of finality in her words said that maybe they should drop the subject. She didn't want to think of anything involving him. Not the way he just did whatever he wanted without consideration for how she'd feel, not the way he'd just ignore her even if she'd waited a whole day for him to come home and spend time with her, not how much she /hated/ his computer for stealing time with him from her, not with how he didn't bother looking for a job because she was stupidly willing to work hard to keep their home at his mother's house. She sighed softly.

"Well in any case, I'm sure there are reasons you decided to give life a shot here. So I won't question them. But it seems like you need a little fun." he said, his tone cheery and confident.

Kali furrowed her brows a bit, puzzled by the statement. What were they supposed to do that was fun at a lake? She was just about to turn towards him and ask when she felt his hands on her back, and she was pushed forward. She met the water head first with her hands following to grasp for the bottom of the shallows. Her palms scraped the rocks below and pushed herself above the surface. She gasped a bit and swept her now soaked blonde hair from her eyes to look at him, absolutely stunned. Link burst into laughter at the sight of her, sitting in the shallows with a dumbfounded look on her face. "Oh is that you're idea of fun?" she asked, biting back a smile of her own as she pushed herself out of the water to reach over the edge and put an iron grip on his forearm while he was too distracted with laughter to move away. She latched on with her other arm and leaned back with her whole body weight while kicking off of the bottom to toss him in. She could hear him give a shout as he flopped into the water with a splash. Kali roared with laughter, scooting away from him as she watched him flail his arms as he emerged from the water. He looked at her with probably the same expression she'd had when she was pushed in. She laughed so hard her belly hurt, and it felt good to laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done something this stupid with a friend. Something so dumb and childlike that it was hilarious. He joined in the laughter before giving her a splash. Kali caught a mouth full of water and then she was coughing and laughing at the same time. "That was j-just mean." she laughed, swiping the water from her cheeks. Link's smile lit up his face and he moved deeper into the water. Kali paused and scooted to the edge again to remove her soaked leather boots – being careful to shake the water out so they could dry completely. She felt a little weighed down due to wearing clothes in the water. She couldn't imagine how heavy Link's clothes and equipment were. No doubt he was incredibly fit for his age. Come to think of it, she felt they were around the same age.

That didn't matter though. She dipped her head back to sweep her sopping hair from her face as she moved farther out into the depths. She saw Link watching her, and knew he was watching to see if she knew how to swim. Kali use to go swimming in the community pool all the time before she graduated high school, and was a very strong swimmer. She tested herself first once she was neck deep, to see how bouyant she was with clothes on. After getting the feel for the weight she kicked off, breathing slow and deep to keep herself afloat, and sweeping her arms easily just below the waters surface to propel herself forward. "So people where you live know how to swim. That's a relief." Link suddenly said right next to her. She jumped a little, and gentle kicked her feet and waved her arms to keep herself floating. She hadn't even heard him paddling.

His comment brought on another smile from her, "Oh, so you just let me wander out here without knowing if I could swim first? How kind of you." she joked.

This made him smile and he seemed to shrug his shoulder a little while tilting his head, "I could have kept you from drowning no problem." Link seemed like he was considering his next words carefully, and then he looked at her directly with a playful expression. "So how long do you think you could hold your breath?" he asked.

She wasn't sure she liked where this was going. "I'm not sure to be honest. Why?"

"You should see what's underneath. Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly, raising his blonde eyebrows a bit with the question. He didn't seem cocky or playful now. He was really asking her if she trusted him.

Kali took the moment to glance beneath her, into the azure depths below her. She hadn't even considered what kind of creatures lived at the bottom, if any at all. She bit her lip a little, and then looked up to Link and seeing his honest expression, couldn't help but nod her head. "I trust you." she smiled a little.

"Good." Link said as he grinned wider and swam close to her before grasping her wrist with his hand and drawing in a deep breath as if to give her a cue to do the same. She drew in air and then he dragged her under. She held onto his wrist the best she could around his gauntlet, and forced herself to open her eyes in the water. It didn't take much to adjust, and it barely stung at all. The worst part was the pressure making her ears pop. But when her vision came into focus it was incredible. The shafts of light coming from above and the glimmer of silvery fish casting bubbles into the light gave it this surreal, dream-like look that would have taken her breath away. Luckily she was prepared for that and didn't dare open her lips. Link seemed to just be sinking at this point, pulling her down to his level by her arm. He was watching her reaction, not seeming to mind the dive at all.

She took the time to gaze down, peering at the approaching slope that lead to the bottom of the lake. She could see little flecks of light that didn't seem like anything that was alive. Was there coins or something buried in the bottom? Kali's chest was getting tight and she squeezed Link's arm to get his attention, and then pointed up. He nodded and gave her arm a little push upwards. She kicked and swept her arms wide, and she had no trouble making it to the surface again. Once she drew in a fresh breath of air, she blinked the water from her eyes and smiled at Link when he came up to meet her. "It's gorgeous down there! I've never seen water so clear!" she gasped excitedly. She didn't remember the last time she was this thrilled to experience something like this. Actually she had never experienced...well, anything like it! "And the fish, and...Oh! What was at the bottom? There were shiny things down there, but they didn't move."

Link just grinned and paddled on his side around her slowly, but didn't seem out of breath. "Those are probably letters in glass bottles. People like to throw letters that they'll never send, or secrets written on paper in bottles to the bottom. It's mostly something younger people do, and the Zoras tend to make it a topic of gossip. Sometimes it's funny." His smile faltered a bit, and then he looked at her. "Sometimes there are some dark stuff written down there. But the only people who can find them are people who can swim to the bottom and not drown. Most don't like risking it."

That was fascinating! It was so incredible to hear about the customs that Hylians had here, and she was so excited to learn about it. To learn about this world! Then she stopped herself. "The Zoras?" she asked, tilting her head as she drew in a breath to float to her back. She was careful to keep her ears out of the water so she could listen.

"Oh yeah," he said, seeming a little surprised. He chuckled and then shook his head. "I keep forgetting you don't know about things here." As he paddled around he pinched his eyebrows together, as if trying to find the right words. "Well, I guess I'll just have to take you to see them sometime. It's...difficult to explain what they are to someone who doesn't already know." He seemed sheepish now, apologetic.

Kali just smiled at that and righted herself in the water. "Gives you a good reason to take me somewhere else." she said excitedly.

It didn't take long for them to lose track of time. They spent the evening teaching each other games they could play in the water. Kali taught him Marco Polo, but she assumed his long ears gave him a leg up on her as far as sound went. He taught her some kind of diving game that the zoras taught him in his travels. It took him a while to get her to just leap off of one of the bridge's headfirst. She knew the lake was deep, but something about that was just scary. But she did it! He even said that her dive wasn't that bad too. They had a few races, and he tried to show her how to swim faster. It would take her a lot of practice. By the time they pulled themselves onto the lakeside to rest, she was wiped out.

The sun was dipping lower in the sky as she splayed onto the ground on her back to dry herself off, and Link cast out a fishing line for dinner later. She didn't care much for fish, but she would never complain about free food. Kali couldn't help but feel elated, her eyes closed, soaking in the warmth of the setting sun. It had been at least a year and a half since she was able to go hang out with friends of her own, and none of her friends were nearly as active as Link seemed to be. This single visit showed her how much she was missing out on by just sitting at home playing house wife for someone who didn't even seem to care about her.

"So, do you want to be serious for a few minutes?" Link said suddenly, his tone a little more somber than before.

Kali opened her eyes a little and turned her head in the grass to look at him. He wasn't looking at her. "I want to talk to you about what happened before, when I found you in the rain."

So that's what this trip was about. He was trying to get closer to her, so she'd open up. She had been avoiding the subject for a long time, for fear of drawing up bad emotions. He hasn't even pestered her about it, and she'd been shut up this entire time. "Ahhh, I see." she said, sighing softly before pushing herself up to rest on the palms of her hands. "So you're trying to soften me up huh."

He looked at her suddenly, his expression full of concern. He was being very serious. "It's important, Kali. You must know that." he said grimly.

She nodded, and sighed again. "Yeah, I do. I understand." She closed her eyes for a moment to calm herself and then looked him in the eyes. "What do you want to talk about then?"

Link shifted so that he was turned more towards her, his expression still concerned and he was watching her carefully. He was no doubt gauging how emotional she was going to be. He seemed to care a lot about how she felt. "Just to be clear, there were definitely two people there right?"

Kali nodded, "Yes. Identical twins. Or maybe one was a shadow. Either way, they looked exactly the same."

Thinking about it made goosebumps rise on her arms, and she shook the image of the two men leering at her from her mind.

Link nodded thoughtfully, "And what was it, as precisely as you can recall, that they said they wanted from you?"

Kali had to think about it for a moment, double checking in her mind exactly what they had said. It was difficult to be sure in a moment of panic, "I'm pretty sure that they said, 'We know you know where the gateway is.'"

He seemed to think longer this time, and then he looked at her cautiously. "Well, did you know ?"

She frowned a little and shook her head, "I don't even know what gateway they were talking about. I was completely confused." When she looked at him, he looked away with a meaningful expression, like he was holding something back. "What?" she asked dryly.

"Well," he hesitated and then shrugged his shoulder. "Impa had some theories, most of them including you unknowingly having the information they wanted. But I don't see how you could."

Kali tilted her head and played around with some thoughts in her mind, but there was only one thing that made sense. "The only thing I can think of now is where you two found me." she said plainly, and shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, I'm the only strange thing that's popped up around here right? My world is completely unknown to you, and your people are unknown to my world too."

Link nodded and then looked at her, seeming a little relieved that she could put two and two together. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. But there's no way you would know where that was. You were half-awake, and then fell unconscious again. And the only way we found you was by...sensing something. I assume the gateway opening."

She knew what this meant. He was going to have to go back and find wherever she stumbled into this place, and he was probably going to leave her behind. It seemed like it was too soon already to be trying to find where she had come into this world from. She'd barely gotten out to see this one. Kali gazed at the sky, spotting a few stars dotting the heavens. That was the same too. The stars were probably prettier here when it's competely dark. She hoped they would at least wait a while before going to find the gateway, if it even existed.


End file.
